Why you’re not okay
For most of your life, you have been conditioned to believe that you need to be “successful”. The underlying assumption being that you are not okay by the virtue of what you are, and that you need external validation of some kind in your life to justify your existence on this planet, most of all to your friends and/or family (who might not know any better).
Here are some questions you may or may not have thought about:
- Do you feel learning and acquiring skills will help you “grow” in life?
- Do you believe you need to “do” things to be happy?
- Do you think your work can “fulfill” you?
- Do you believe the quality of your life is dependent on the quality of your relationships?1
- Do you think when you have X or Y in your life, then you’ll be okay?
If you answered yes to any (or all), you are not alone (and that’s okay). There’s no dearth of popular authors, pseudo intellectuals, and media influencers selling you this hogwash.
Here’s the thing. You can “achieve” all you want in your work and social life, and yet you’ll feel empty. Likewise, you can do all the things in the name of personal/professional growth to “improve” yourself,2 and yet you won’t get far, but not for reasons you think (we’ll get to that). Sure, you might (be even content to) make “progress”, but that’s miniscule compared to what’s truly possible for you, lest you continue to sell yourself short.
Can you improve perfection?
No one will tell you this. I wish someone told me this when I was in my early teens — what you seek in life is what you are. You seek love, peace, joy, truth, beauty. The reason you don’t see it is because your attention has been elsewhere for most of your life.
True living is about subtraction, and not acquisition of knowledge, wealth, and/or power. You don’t have to “live to your potential”. It’s enough if you stop undermining it. The French poet, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote:
Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
What if there’s nothing “wrong” with you? What if there’s nothing you need to do to “grow” in life? The reason being, you are complete by the virtue of what you are. The problem is you’ve been conditioned to “do” things for most of your life to be happy. But, it’s not your fault. You didn’t know any better (until now).
You are perfect. You are complete. Ergo, it’s less about “knowing” what to do, and more about stopping what you are inadvertently doing (vis-à-vis your mind) that’s getting in the way of your perfection. That’s where I come in.
How I guide you
Think of me as your friend, philosopher, and guide (FPG). Based on your life situation, I show you what’s getting in your way, so you can keep moving forward naturally (joyfully and sustainably). I guide you to identify (and remove) the imperfections (through your mind), so you can show up as your true self. It’s akin to peeling the layers of an onion until you get to the essence. It’s only when you shift your focus back to the being, can you do everything better.
I guide you to be more and do less, but better; I help you get out of your (mind’s) way, so you can continue using it without letting it use you. I’m not a (mindset/certified/life) “coach” per se; I serve from the heart. Coaching is simply one of the ways I get to share the philosophy with you in a personal capacity.
What to expect
In our time together, I will offer a safe space for you to get in touch with your inner wisdom. Together, we will get clear on what you intuitively know to be true, but are too stressed, distracted, confused, and/or afraid to trust yourself, and to let go of your fears.
The work we do together will be focused on you. This isn’t about changing others (in your personal and work life). Our focus will be on what you can do to make things better for yourself (and, by extension, for those around you). I’m only here to facilitate the process, and support you in being your true self.
This is not counseling, therapy, or even “coaching” per se. It’s not about “behavioral change” either.3 This is simply you and me having a chat about your everyday challenges. By focusing on what has your attention (not where it should be), we get to the heart of the matter quickly.
How coaching works
We’ll start the coaching process with a brief complimentary call to explore your challenges, and to determine if we are right for each other. Once we decide to work together, you’ll sign up for the first session.
Each session will be 45 minutes over video for a fixed fee. You get to set the agenda for our meeting at the start and then, we’ll focus on what’s on your mind, before we debrief at the end. You will then decide (and commit to) the next steps, which we will review in the following session, if you continue.
Remember, I’m here to help you make progress quickly. I’ve found coaching time to be inversely proportional to effectiveness. That means the less time you spend with me, the more you (should) improve, and the bigger impact you make in your life (and of those around you).
My work with clients is confidential, as will be my work with you.
What others are saying
Over the years, I have coached rocket scientists, nonprofit CEOs, managing directors, startup founders, business owners, and even retired professionals to help them reclaim their time and attention for themselves, their families, and their teams. Here’s what some of them have shared with me:
Rishi is an unbelievable business resource! His uncanny ability to bring things to a level that they are manageable and doable rather than overwhelming and daunting is tremendous. I think if you spend a few minutes together, you’ll both hugely benefit from the discussion. He’s been a huge breath of fresh air in improving my effectiveness and my results.
Rishi’s contributions [as a Trusted Advisor] have added lasting value to our organization. One of the things he has assisted us with is improving our core team’s performance. His efforts have resulted in getting our team to communicate better and staying on top of our projects. Rishi contributed to our organization in a multitude of ways and his involvement with our movement was truly indispensable. We were incredibly proud and lucky to have him work with us.
When it comes to executive coaching, there are loads of commentators that talk good, but Rishi makes it happen. He has enabled me to challenge my personal paradigms on self-management and effectiveness. His succinct writing on various topics are interesting and engaging at the same time.
I used Rishi’s services to improve my own effectiveness. He helped me with a number of solutions, workflows, and tools that helped me improve my personal and team performance. I also used his services to facilitate a problem-solving session and I found him quite objective and unbiased in helping my team members resolve their differences. I highly recommend him as a coach for Business Owners/CEOs as well as their teams.
It’s a bit like listening to a mentor give course correction if that makes sense. I also like to slip the lessons into conversations with those still working and to see if they resonate with them.
Work with me
Having conversations with me have resulted in personal and professional breakthroughs for others. Reading/listening to the philosophy alone has made readers/listeners slow down, and be more intentional in their lives. Imagine the possibilities when you actually live from the heart!
The first step is to have a brief call with me to determine if the less, but better philosophy is for you (and yours).
Addendum
I’m offering coaching for a limited time, because why work with a few when you can inspire the many?! Also, I have zero interest in persuading you to work with me. Besides, life is too short for that. I’ll only work with you, if this philosophy resonates with you, and you are motivated to stop your self-induced mental suffering for good.
Furthermore, if you’re seeking a “certified mental health professional”, please look elsewhere. No disrespect to them, but they are not immune to mental health challenges themselves. How could they possibly help you?! Besides, challenges of the mind cannot be solved by those on the level of the mind, who are merely caught up in helping you “manage your thoughts and emotions”. There is nothing to “manage”.